Surrender
by HC247
Summary: She stood in the doorway. "I surrender." --"Not like this, Fae." Fiyerba fluffle.


She was being watched.

She could sense the large presence behind her; Stalking it's prey with the skill of an expert huntsman. The almost silent footsteps on the soft carpet and the weight of his eyes on her every move. The air seemed to thicken as the hunter moved closer, yet she never turned on him.

Suddenly her keen ears lost all sound and she knew that he was reading to strike. She could almost see him take his stance, crouching low to the ground, legs ready to spring into action at the slightest moment. She heard the soft breathing of the hunter as crept silently closer and her body tensed at his presence.

She could feel him coming at her. Closer. Closer. Any moment he would..

"Nice try, my sweet" Elphaba chided, never looking up from her book. "You nearly had me that time."

She repressed a smile as she heard a frustrated sigh and felt the bed dip at the added weight of her lover. "You could have at least _pretended_ to let me capture you." Fiyero's gaze was playful as he swung his legs up on the bed, laying so he was facing her. "Let me retain a shred of my manhood every now and then."

Elphaba's eyes danced. "Trust me, my love. You have no reason to be worried about your masculinity." She leaned forward to kiss him. "I'm convinced that has never suffered."

The Prince snorted. "Maybe, but my pride certainly has."

"You men and your pride." She rolled her eyes as she removed her glasses. "What is that about?"

"It's something deeply imbedded in us when we're young," he explained as if he did it everyday. "It's just something that we have to maintain. You know. We were warriors. Brave, courageous, smart" He flashed a smile. "and irresistibly handsome."

The green girl smirked. "And blissfully ignorant." She moved to close the book. "And we know you fit that profile perfectly."

"Ouch." Fiyero placed a hand to his chest as if he had been wounded. "And here is comes."

"What?"

"Bad childhood memories." he shuddered. "Not a good experience."

She turned a concerned gaze on him. "What happened?"

He had to chuckle at her urgent look. "Calm down, Fae. It was not tramatizing. Just wounded my pride a bit." He shot a playful glare. "Not that that's ever happened before."

She threw a pillow at him. "Just tell me what happened."

Fiyero effectively ducked her attack and held up him hands. "Alright, I surrender!," he laughed. "In fact, that's what happened when I was young." He made himself comfortable again and continued, "When we were young, our tribes were always at war. Naturally, as young boys we would mimic what we thought were the greatest warriors. The winning group got first rights to the 'pot', which consisted of any interesting things we managed to find, and the losers were forced to humiliating surrender in front of the entire community."

Elphaba raised a brow. "And this was wounding because?"

His grin was sheepish. "Because somehow I always managed to find myself on the losing side. Quite callous actually."

She could only shake her head. "I'll bet."

'It was!" Hos indignant expression caused her to laugh harder. "Go on, then. Have your fun. Bask in my humiliation." he turned away

The green girl calmed herself and then reached her hand into his hair, running her finger's through it. "My poor prince," she soothed. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

He turned to look at her. Instead of the playful expression that had graced his handsome face a few moments ago, he now wore one of uncertainty. Reaching into the pocket of his trousers, he withdrew a small box and held it out to her.

The smile immediately fell from her face and she wrenched out of his grasp. "Fiyero, not this again!"

He was on his feet in an instant, following her angry steps. "Fae, what is it? Why won't you marry me?"

She turned on him, pulling her robe tighter around her. "Fiyero, we've been through this! I won't subject you to that. Oz forbid anything happen, I don't want you tied to me in any way!"

"And how many times have I told you that I don't care about that!" He knew his voice was rising but he didn't care. "I am here because I _want _to be here, Fae. When will you realize that?"

"We're already living as a couple, Fiyero. I don't need a ring to prove it."

"I know that. But has it ever occurred to you that maybe I want to give you that?" Fiyero came forward to grasp her shoulders. "Fae, I would give you the world if you wanted it. I want to share my life with you. I realize that we're doing that now, but I want to give you more. I want to give you more than my heart. I want to give you my life, my name, my children. Can't you see?"

She sighed in his arms. "I know, Fiyero. I just....I just can't." She finished softly.

Letting out a long breath, Fiyero nodded. "I understand." He released her and turned toward the bedroom. "We're nearly out of wood. I'm going to go collect some. I'll be back soon."

She could only nod dumbly as she watched him shrug on his coat. She stood in silence as he dropped a kiss on her forehead and went out the door. Suddenly finding her voice, she called "Fiyero, wait!"

He turned, hand on the doorknob, waiting for her answer.

"You stay here. I'll get the wood."

His shoulders fell. "Fae, it's not a problem. I'll-"

"No!" She ran for her coat. "I need the fresh air. You stay here and start dinner. I'll be back soon." She kissed him quickly and ran out the door before he could protest further, leaving her lover staring after her in dumbfounded silence.

* * *

The air was cool as Elphaba walked silently down the path that led away from their small home and into the woods. Her head was sore from the bitter fight between her mind and her conscience.

_What's wrong with you! The man wants to marry you, for Oz's sakes! Why won't you let him._

_**But he doesn't know what he would be getting himself into. Tying himself to me for life is too much and he would be miserable**_

_The point exactly! I'm making it easier for him to leave when he finally comes to his senses and realizes this isn't what he wants._

**_But what if this is what he wants?_**

The thought caused the green girl to stop dead in her tracks. Why would he want this? What had she done to deserve him?

__

You don't. But for some reason the man is ridiculously in love with you. He left everything he had ever know to run away with you. Would it kill you to marry him if that is what would make him happy?

The answer came with brilliant certainty.

* * *

"I surrender."

Fiyero immediately looked up from the piece of wood he was carving and turned. "What?"

Elphaba stood behind his chair, face impassive. "I said 'I surrender'. You win, Fiyero. I'll marry you."

The Prince set his carving aside and pulled her around to face him. "Not like this, Fae. I won't marry you like this."

Surprise contorted her facce. "I don't understand. I thought this was what you wanted."

"I do." He pulled her down to sit on his lap. "But only if you want it too."

She sighed. "I just want to make you happy."

"I am happy, Fae." Pulling her into his arms, he rested his head against her hair. "Just holding you like this makes me happier than anything in the world every could."

"Oh, Yero." She breathed. "You have no idea how happy you make me. But maybe your humiliating concept of surrender isn't all bad."

He pulled back. "What do you mean?"

Resting a hand against his check, she explained. "Maybe surrender is a good thing. It forces stubborn people to admit they were wrong and gives them the opportunity to escape with little to no damage."

"But they still don't get what they want," he pointed out.

She shrugged. "Maybe not initially, no." She smiled down at him. "But many times they get something that was better for them in the long run. And that's why I'm surrendering. Because you have given up so much to make me happy, I want to do the same for you."

Fiyero squeezed her hands. "But I'm not forcing you to do this, Fae. I want you to do it because you love me and want to be with me. That is the only reason that I'll marry you."

Elphaba nodded. "I know. And that's why I am doing it. Because I _do_ love you and I _do _want to be with you. It just took me a little longer to see it."

He smirked. "So you really want to marry then?"

An ironic grin crossed her face. "Who would have thought?"

"I suppose you'll be waiting this then." He held up the ring box, opening it to reveal a simple diamond solitaire.

Elpahaba's breath caught in her throat as he took the ring out of the box and held it out to her. Stopping just shy of her finger, he glanced up at her. "I'm just double checking here. Elphaba Thropp," He brought a hand to cup her cheek. "My precious Fae. Will you marry me?"

Raising her own hand to cover his, the green girl felt herself fighting back tears as she answered with her whole heart, "I will."

Fiyero flashed her a rogue smile before slipping the ring on her finger and sealing it with a kiss. "I thought you'd see it my way.'

Even through her tears, she smacked him playfully. "You're impossible."

"But you love me."

Elphaba nodded as she placed her arms around his neck. "For a lifetime," She whispered as he bent to head. The twinkling of her diamond was the last thing she saw before Fiyero captured her lips with his, sealing their engagement as every prince should.

Elphaba sighed and tightened her arms around his neck.

Surrender had never been so sweet.


End file.
